


never beyond redemption

by MrMundy



Category: Overwatch (Video Game), Overwatch 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Anal Sex, Established Relationship, Frottage, Hanzo gets therapy, Hanzo joins Overwatch, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Overwatch 2 Timeline, Post-Recall
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:15:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23024635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMundy/pseuds/MrMundy
Summary: "It took me some time, but…" Hanzo took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "I couldn't let you down, Genji."Hanzo answers Genji's request, finds a new family, and reveals just what he's been up to since the day Genji confronted him in Shimada Castle.
Relationships: Genji Shimada & Hanzo Shimada, Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 80





	never beyond redemption

The new Overwatch operative headquarters might have been located at the Rock of Gibraltar, but it was by no means the place the newly-regrouped Overwatch stayed all of the time. The world was too busy, too rife with disaster at the hands of the omnics and the scheming of Talon, ever-pushing the boundaries of the Crisis to their own ends. The Watchpoint was only a place for them to refuel and rest before heading out once again, and they were all aware of that. The world needed help, and help didn't come from sitting in front of a computer screen, watching death counts rise day after day; Winston attested to that. 

No, Overwatch was operating anywhere and everywhere. Tracer took the helm of their transport, a modified Aurora with Athena built in to assist, and they went anywhere they were called. As they moved, they gained more crewmates - and soon enough they were upgrading their Aurora to an Orca, traveling with old friends and new faces alike. 

Genji had rejoined after the attack in Paris. He found comfort with his old friends, even if they made comments about his change in demeanor and sudden silence. It wasn't as though he'd changed completely, of course - it was simply that he had anxiety flowing through him consistently since his encounter with his brother the prior year. He'd offered Hanzo a place within Overwatch and had been so sure he'd accept after watching him hunt down Shimada clan sympathizers and allies. 

But perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps Hanzo didn't want to join him and found solace in carrying out what he thought was his duty. Worse even were the thoughts that Hanzo had turned away completely and sought out Talon, even after years of their father rejecting the organization's offers. 

_ He wouldn't, _ Genji told himself.  _ My brother would never. _

_ But then again,  _ his mind tormented, _ Hanzo stopping being my brother when Father died. _

That was when it truly started, he knew. When the elders had tried to put Hanzo in charge and found Genji to be too problematic. Genji remembered the days long before the battle, of Hanzo pleading him to just do as the elders asked. To follow tradition, to be a Shimada worthy of history. 

But Genji had refused. And the clan wouldn't have that.

Genji shut his eyes, forcing the memories from his mind. Beside him, Mei tilted her head in his direction as if to ask what was wrong, but Genji only shook his head and stood, making his way toward the holomap hovering above one of the tables. The pinging of their ship looked so miniscule, a tiny blue speck among the orange hues of the globe. He reached to spin the map and zoom in, only to be interrupted.

"Getting close to our drop," came Lena's voice from the cockpit, "Buckle in."

Knowing the timing was preventing him from ogling over previous mission locations, Genji was thankful. He dropped down beside Angela, who was already strapped into the buckles of the landing seats. Reinhardt stood beside Winston, both being far too large to fit properly in the safe seating but knowing their weight could hold themselves upright as the ship came down. Lúcio struggled only for a moment with his belt, turning to grin at Genji and give a delighted thumbs up once he was secured properly. Genji smiled, knowing his expression wasn't visible, and gave a thumbs up in return.

The landing was smoother than some of their previous stops - the fighting was further outward, and Lena had gotten them nearer to the safehouses built by the local people in order to gather information better before jumping into the fray.

The following hour was a tour around the barricades, with a kind woman explaining the situation in detail to Lena and Winston. Genji held back, eyeing the fighting further out.

"It didn't start so badly," he heard the woman say as he tuned into the conversation, "Last week it was just a few Nullifiers through the river, and suddenly the rest of Detroit is overrun."

“And you’ve been holding them off by barricading this side of town?” Asked Winston, looking around at the makeshift walls of broken support beams and rubble from destroyed buildings. The woman nodded, and further explained the situation that the Omnium was just out of town, but the omnics had made use of the river to traverse further into the heart of the city - and over the border into Canada. Many people had gotten out, but those who hadn’t had been forced into the ballpark and surrounding area.

It was a terrible situation, just like Paris. And Rio de Janeiro. And so many other places they'd been. Genji almost wondered if it would even be possible for Overwatch to reach everyone that needed them.

They were only a small, one-ship crew, and the world needed so much.

He sighed, his shoulders dropping slightly as he thought the situation over. Distracted as he was, he didn't hear when Winston assigned everyone to positions. 

"Where," he started, and Winston simply pointed to Lúcio before hobbling away with Lena and Brigitte. 

"You're with me, man. Angela is going with Reinhardt and Mei, and Echo is gonna keep an eye on all of us. That's everyone, right?" Lúcio said, putting his hand on Genji's shoulder. 

"I think so." Genji said, his voice even. "Do you think we'll be able to help enough here to make a difference?" 

Lúcio studied his posture for a good few moments before smiling.

"We've done good so far. We're a pretty great team, I think." Lúcio said, looking away from Genji and toward the river. "We've got this."

"We've got this." Genji repeated.

  
  
  


Of course there was another Titan.

Of  _ course _ .

Genji watched as the massive form of the omnic rose up from the river and towered over the city. Smaller omnics began to swarm from behind the Titan, and apparently they'd learned since the last time Overwatch had intervened, as several _ flew  _ overhead with weapons at the ready, firing blasts into the buildings and anywhere they scanned movement. 

The rest of the team seemed to have their places covered - Genji listened close to his communicator as Winston detailed a basic plan. He'd just have to get near the Titan and help Reinhardt, stay at his side along with Lúcio. 

That wouldn't have been a problem to do.

Not until he was slammed in the chest by a Nullifier.

Genji dropped his sword, gasping as he was pinned to the ground. Above him, the upgraded Nullifier tilted its head as though to study him, bringing the barrel of its firearm to his chest. He felt it push further against him, its massive arm crushing his ribs. He heard Reinhardt some ways off shouting for him, panicked. Between the Nullifier and the Titan, however, he couldn't quite make out just  _ what  _ he said. He kicked his legs upward, struggling to fight off the omnic and free himself. It stayed steady, glaring down at him while its sensors buzzed.

Genji shut his eyes, hoping he'd at least be able to brace himself and take a blow without being completely destroyed.

And then he heard the sound of metal being pierced and felt the Nullifier slump over him. He looked up, seeing the lights in its head shut off and, unbelievably, an arrow through the side of the head. Genji took in a sharp breath, frantically looking for the source of the projectile, his eyes finally landing on a figure standing atop a nearby building.

The stance, the bow - he had no doubts.

His brother had just saved his life.

"Hanzo," he breathed, eyes wide behind his visor in utter disbelief. Reinhardt made his way beside Genji then, pulling the Nullifier's body away and into the empty road. Genji stood after wrangling his sword from the mess and readied himself as the Titan bellowed out another menacing roar. 

_ No time for reunions,  _ he told himself, and raised his blade, feeling the surge of his dragon within him. It could sense the proximity of its brothers and let Genji know with a sudden rush of desperation. The familiar feeling of his tattoo burning along his back gave him all the encouragement he needed, swinging his sword in an arc to bring the spirit from its place on his body. The sudden glow was almost blinding as his dragon took form, gliding along the blade of his sword and growing much larger than its usual size.

It nearly matched a single one of Hanzo's dragons - who were also being summoned, if the rush of blue energy wrapping over Hanzo's form was any indication. His dragons, too, were desperate to be reunited with their brother. The rest of the Overwatch agents were stunned as three dragons swept over their heads, two blue and one green. Genji held his sword upward as his dragon left him, rising into the sky to meet with its brothers before the three of them bolted into the fray, ripping through Nullifiers and ORs as though they were nothing more than simple pests, motivated by their delight at being together once more. 

Genji felt the excitement of the dragons, glancing only a moment at Hanzo, who held his bow up once again and aimed at the Titan. Together, the three dragons made their way over the skyline to their target, snarling as they approached the Titan's massive form.

He watched his dragon, a bolt of green, slash up and over the Titan's chest, ripping through the metal. Hanzo's dragons split apart from each other and wrapped mercilessly around the Titan, growing until they had secured it from its legs to its head, crushing it and causing an ungodly metallic shrieking with each constriction. 

Genji's dragon swept around once more and lashed over the Omnic's head, breaking apart its chest to expose the inner workings of the mechanical beast. He saw Hanzo draw another arrow, aiming it at the exposed wiring, and watched as the arrow flew and split into two, then four, then eight, and then scattered into more, ricocheting inside the Titan's head and down its inner body. The dragons gave a final roar and the body split down the middle, aided by the arrows cutting off vital wiring and mechanisms until the body of the Titan collapsed into itself, teetering backwards as the three dragons faded and it fell into the river. Waves surged from the body's fall, streets becoming flooded with river water and buildings being soaked from the crashing of the waves. Hanzo lowered his bow, staring at the fallen Titan for several moments before turning - 

Genji hadn't seen such an expression on Hanzo's face since they were young children!

\- and smiling at him.

"Hanzo," Genji yelled, feeling his voice shake. He repeated it again, louder. "Hanzo!"

Hanzo looked hopeful as he turned to slide down the side of the building, catching the bricks with his boots and slowing his descent. Genji struggled to stay standing, aided by Lúcio quickly jumping in beside him as support. He laid his arm over Lúcio's shoulders, fully feeling now the burning pain of where his ribs and cybernetics had been pushed and the inevitable bruises that would result. His dragon was exhausted, as well, forcing him to take the brunt of that.

Hanzo hit the ground and immediately rushed through the street, narrowly dodging Reinhardt as he, too, came forward to see the situation firsthand. Genji lifted his visor off of his face as Hanzo approached, leaving Reinhardt standing, open-armed, as he had been prepared to carry Genji to safety. Instead, he got to watch as Lúcio helped Genji stand in front of Hanzo, who choked out a sob of relief.

"Genji," Hanzo said. He clung to his bow, knuckles white.

"You actually… you're here," Genji said, a smile breaking across his face. 

"It took me some time, but…" Hanzo took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "I couldn't let you down, Genji."

For a moment, it looked as though the two would simply stare, but the undeniable surging of their dragons within them made it impossible to stay calm. Genji gave in first, pushing himself away from Lúcio and toward his brother, grabbing onto him to pull him in for a hug. It was strange for a moment - they'd never been the type of family to express things in such a manner. But then emotions took over and Hanzo's bow dropped to the ground and he was holding Genji up, caught between a sob and a grateful laugh.

"Your hair," Genji said as he stepped back to arm's length, laughing. 

Hanzo ran a hand over the undercut he now sported, smiling.

"I did everything the clan never let me do before," he explained. Genji rubbed at his eyes, shaking his head.

Before they could say anything more, Angela and Mei stepped in, the former immediately making a beeline to Genji. Her hand dropped onto his shoulder and some of the pain receded - his cybernetics still ached, however, and he knew he'd have to look them over once they were on their ship again. For now, though, he raised his brows at Angela and motioned toward Hanzo.

She looked him over, her head tilting to one side.

"Are you hurt…?" She began, and Hanzo shook his head.

"No, no. I'm fine, if a little exhausted from using the dragons. I am - Genji's brother. Hanzo." He introduced himself hesitantly; he knew his reputation was most likely not so good.

He must have been right about that if the way Angela's eyes narrowed at him was any indication. Slowly, the rest of the crew gathered to ask of the situation, and Genji was retelling the story of their encounter in Hanamura as Hanzo packed his bow back into his guitar case and everyone migrated toward the safehouse area.

Hanzo appreciated the way Genji framed the story - their fight a misunderstanding, the way their dragons had reacted, the hope he'd held for the past year that Hanzo would accept his offer. Angela still seemed hesitant, as did Lena - but Winston offered Hanzo a place among Overwatch before they'd even made it back to the safehouse, and he accepted without hesitation. 

Genji had grinned at him the moment he'd said yes. 

Hanzo accompanied them on the rest of their mission in Detroit: find the omnium and destroy the central unit, and get out before the remaining Omnics destroyed  _ them _ . Of course, Genji was held back and told to stay on the Orca with Lena, so things were stiff as Hanzo worked with Angela, Reinhardt, and Mei - but they quickly saw his determination to impress them and things fell into place.

By the end of the mission, Hanzo felt welcomed with the way Reinhardt was patting his back and complimenting his skill with his bow. 

"And then," Reinhardt said, sitting with everyone on the Orca, waving his arm as he spoke, "Hanzo was cornered and rather than wait for any of us to help, he used his bow like a club and beheaded the thing!"

"Impressive." Winston said.

Genji put his hand on Hanzo's shoulder, grinning at him. 

"My brother was pretty much the coolest guy around when we were kids, glad to see he's still keeping that record," he said, and Hanzo laughed, sheepish.

"Hanzo, if you don't mind me asking," Angela said, setting her hands on the table in front of her. She fiddled with a deck of cards, going through them one by one. "What drew you here? To Overwatch, to - to Detroit, how did you know?"

"I've been watching reports of where you've been heading. I wanted to find Genji, so I… I paid attention. I looked at your patterns, the most obvious places you'd head toward, and …" Hanzo sighed. It wasn't all a lie - he couldn't just reveal his methods. "I just wanted to find a place to do some good. With my brother."

"Are we that obvious where we go?" Winston asked, and Hanzo waved a hand.

"Not quite - but there are plenty of places online where people are discussing Overwatch's return."  _ And I have my resources,  _ Hanzo thought - but it wasn't the time to bring up his relationships outside of this.

"Huh. Fanclubs." Winston said, and seemed content to leave it at that. Hanzo relaxed, if only slightly. 

  
  
  


Hanzo was taken to Watchpoint Gibraltar after the mission’s end and acquainted with the facility. He was given one of the private rooms in the residency wing, and though he didn’t have much, he appreciated it. Storm Bow was put away in the room along with the spare clothes Hanzo carried in his backpack - Winston offered to wash them, making it much easier on him than giving him the anxiety of asking. 

"We've got some spare uniforms - the old ones, but clothes are clothes - should be some in the room we gave you, hopefully they fit. I'll run some of your things through the laundry. Uh," Winston paused, glancing at his holopad. "As for everyone else… I want to make it clear that Gibraltar might become a bit more permanent of a base for us. Sojourn got in contact, she's going to be heading this way to give us a hand, and… with this many people, we can't all be on missions constantly."

"Sojourn!" Lena said, and Hanzo assumed she must be a popular woman based on the reaction. "Oh, I've missed her. How's she been doing?"

"Good, I'm guessing. Still being a bit of a freedom fighter, excited about Overwatch making a comeback." Winston explained. 

"I can't wait to see her. It feels just like old times, doesn't it?" Lena said, rocking on her heels. Winston laughed and adjusted his glasses, and Hanzo made his way out of the room and toward the residency halls. He got halfway there only to be stopped by Genji. It was still strange to see him in the way he was, now - though his visor was off and most of his face was exposed, he still had the frame of silver around his face and the black synthetic material under his chin. His hair was back to the black he'd had so long ago, making him look distantly familiar.

"Hey," Genji said, waving a hand at Hanzo as he jogged up to him. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About?" Hanzo asked, slowing his pace to something more comfortable.

"Everything. Anything? How you found us, how… How you've been doing." There was a hopeful tone to his voice. Hanzo smiled, brief, before shrugging.

"I have been working at forgiving myself. Trying to figure out this whole 'Overwatch' thing." He paused. "I do not think Doctor Ziegler enjoys my presence."

"Angela will warm up to you. She's just… Wary." Genji made a face, thinking, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Everyone else seems to like you. Which is good."

"I like to think I made a good first impression. I showed up at a good time."

"Perfect time, more like. How much were you panicking?"

"Seeing you get pinned by that omnic?" Hanzo said, stopping in his tracks to face Genji. "I shot that arrow out of fear. I had just gotten on top of that building and… I couldn't risk losing you again. It was  _ all _ fear."

"Oh," Genji said, and rubbed his wrist overtop the fabric of his sweater. "I'm sorry."

"I just wish I had gotten there sooner." Hanzo said. 

"Hey, it's already happened, alright?" Genji reassured him, putting a hand on his upper arm. Hanzo glanced down at the contact.

"It has. And you're safe. That's what matters." He steadied his gaze on Genji's face once again, smiling at him. 

“Yeah. Hey, after you get cleaned up,” Genji said, motioning outward with his arms, “How about we go have something to eat, help Winston get this place set up for full-time, huh?”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Hanzo said. 

  
  
  


The time passed rather quickly. Sojourn showed up within the next day, and with her, a few more Overwatch agents returning to the fight. Torbjorn sent a message Winston’s way, mentioning his concern for his daughter and his desire to come back.

“With a friend.” He had written, and Winston was left scratching his head at that.

Some of the former medical crew showed up after that, lessening Angela’s workload as she worked on getting everyone checked back into the medical systems. They had the medical wing functioning properly by the following week, though supplies were low. Angela assured everyone she knew someone who could help them acquire some decent pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

Soon enough, the residency halls were filling with new and former agents alike, people determined to help Overwatch back to its former glory and status of being a peacekeeping organization. 

In the medical wing, Hanzo found himself sitting on an examination table wearing just his pants as Angela checked him over, taking his vitals with various tools and a holopad. 

“On your form, you said you drink pretty heavily?” She said.

At that, Hanzo heaved a sigh and answered that yes, he drank fairly often.

“I’m getting better, though.” He assured her, and she tapped her holopad to check off a box.

“Let’s see - it doesn’t look as though you have much in the way of medical history. On the run for so long, I can’t imagine you’d want to leave traces in any hospitals, correct?” Angela asked, and Hanzo nodded.

“It was dangerous to do so. I never knew who would know of my family’s name, so I avoided it at all costs.” He explained, and she hummed.

“Of course. I’ve been getting similar stories from quite a few agents these days. Now, I’m going to have to ask you to get your blood drawn tomorrow - my tech is only non-invasive for so many things. That’s fine, right?”

Well, it wasn’t as though he had reason to protest that. He nodded, taking his shirt as she handed it back to him. He pulled it back on, fussing to get his undone hair tossed back over one side of his head afterward. 

“So,” Angela asked, not looking up from her work, “What  _ really  _ brought you to Overwatch?”

Hanzo made a short noise, pursing his lips.

“My brother.” He said, trying to keep his voice upbeat. “He invited me some time ago, and I… Finally felt as though it was the correct choice.”

“I’m sorry if I seem short with you,” Angela said, folding her glasses as she set her holopad aside. “It’s just… Genji was in such bad condition when we first found him. It’s hard to believe…”

“I know.” Hanzo said, folding his hands into his lap. Angela sat down in her rolling chair, watching him. “I think about what I did every day. It haunts me, and I still feel as though he shouldn’t have allowed me back into his life. But…”

“But?” Angela said, raising a brow.

“Then I remember when we were boys. He was my best friend. My  _ only  _ friend, as a child - and losing him was like losing a part of myself.” He stared at his hands, fingers twisting together. Angela eyed the action, her expression shifting from something stern to a more concerned, cautious look.

“Hanzo,” She said, picking up her holopad once again, “Would it be too much to ask to, perhaps, get something set up with our resident therapist? He just arrived yesterday, and I think it might be good for you to get some time with him.”

Hanzo blinked, the look across his face nothing short of confused and hesitant.

“You don’t have to, of course. But it could help - he worked with Genji for some time.” She paused, glancing at her screen. “You don’t have to make the decision now. Just keep it in mind, won’t you?”

He nodded once, scratching the side of his face. Angela sighed, waving at him that he was fine to go. 

  
  
  
  


Somewhere on the other side of the world, Jesse McCree was studying the patterns of the lone omniums. He had a base of his own set up - a small farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere, computers lining a single room inside, constantly tracking movement of the omniums flicking back on and off, alerting him to any strange activity. Alongside that, he had his personal contacts constantly forwarding him information - one in particular kept tabs on Talon for him, updating him with their next plans and maneuvers. 

He really was a bit of a vigilante, these days. Looking outside, he watched as the desert sun slowly set over the horizon, coating everything in darkness.

His communicator beeped.

“What’s it this time?” He asked, and the voice on the other end began rambling. He’d be here for a while, he supposed. 

  
  
  
  


Genji knew he shouldn't snoop. But Hanzo wasn't in his designated room, and they were supposed to have met up ten minutes ago. Looking around wouldn't hurt, right?

He crept into his brother's room, glancing at his minimal belongings - his guitar case, the few succulents he'd picked up during a stop in a small shop in Spain, his clothes folded on his bed. A holopad glowed from on his desk, and despite his better judgement, Genji sneaked a look at the most recent messages on the screen. All in English, all to a person simply named "J". 

J ( 3:54 am ) : my contact's been telling me about some pretty worrying things. if you can convince the big guy to meet me on my farm, i can explain more. im gonna send you the coordinates once you give me the okay. if you gotta tell him who i am to get him to listen, go for it. ill have to burn this number after, though.

Me ( 3:59 am ) : I'll talk to him. I can only hope he will listen. 

Me ( 4:07 am ) : I miss you, you know. I'll be happy if he listens just so I can see you again. The mission is my second priority in regards to that.

J ( 4:12 am ) : miss you too, sugar. hey, off that serious topic, what are you doing right now?

Me ( 4:14 am ) : Getting ready to go spend time with my brother. Don't try anything, you. You'll get your fun after this mission. I hope. 

Genji squinted at the messages, curious. Who was "J", who were his contacts, and what did he need to talk about? He almost reached for the holopad but stopped as he heard the door and jumped back, eyes wide in Hanzo's direction.

"Genji? What are you doing?" He said, his voice slow and careful. Genji swallowed once, thinking it over.

But Hanzo spoke again.

"You didn't read that, did you?" He asked. He didn't sound angry.

"I…" Genji started, shutting his mouth to just  _ think over _ his words first, just this once.

"I'm not going to get mad, Genji. I just need to know." Hanzo said, coming closer. "For safety. This information isn't something I can just give to anyone."

"Even your brother?" Genji asked, and watched Hanzo's expression. Confusion, and then a gentle realisation.

"J is… a friend. Someone you know." Hanzo explained. "He didn't want you to know at the wrong time for fear of losing his anonymity among his connections."

"Someone I know," Genji repeated, sitting on the edge of Hanzo's bed. Hanzo sat next to him, staring at the wall.

"If you guess, I'll tell you. But I can't just say it."

"Josuke?" Genji asked, looking at Hanzo. Hanzo didn’t turn to look at him.

"No. If it was Josuke, I wouldn't be speaking in English to him, now would I? No, however… 'J' and I took care of Josuke together."

"Josuke is dead?" Genji said, eyes wide. Josuke had been one of their father's contacts - but he'd never seemed like too bad of a person. Hanzo smiled, but not in a happy manner.

"Josuke had a penchant for identity theft and embezzling. He was also one of the family friends who…" Hanzo made a vague motion with his hand. Genji knew what he was getting at: many Shimada allies had approved of the clan's actions toward him. 

"Okay. I get it. But, this 'J'." Genji slumped forward, resting his chin in his hands. Someone he knew. Someone Hanzo knew. 

There weren't many people like that left.

He frowned.

"Can't you just hint at it? Just tell me?" Genji said, tapping his cheek with his fingers. Hanzo seemed to think it over, folding his hands together in his lap. Silence passed between them for a few moments.

"He is…" Hanzo broke the silence, "He is someone you wouldn't expect me to know. Someone you've associated with through Overwatch."

Genji shut his eyes, thinking. Overwatch, J… 

"Jesse McCree?" He said, and watched as Hanzo raised his brows and then gave one short, gentle nod.

Genji felt his mouth drop open more than he really realised he did it. 

"You know McCree?" He said, astonished. Hanzo nodded once again, standing to fetch the holopad Genji had been snooping on. He held it up between them as he opened the screen once more, revealing the messages between himself and Jesse.

"About a month after you found me at home," Hanzo started, scrolling up through the various texts between them. Genji caught particular words as they passed: contact, brother,  _ sugar _ . That last one concerned him. "Jesse and I were tailing the same bounty. Josuke. He wanted him for his embezzling, and I wanted him for his association to our family."

"He calls you -" Genji started, and Hanzo paid no mind as he continued.

"He and I decided to work together on taking him down - I didn't want the reward, but he did. We caught him, took care of him, and Jesse proved himself as a worthy ally. So we began travelling together. He would find us a job, I would help him carry it out, and we became … close."

"Close enough that he flirts with you?" Genji said, voice laced with concern. Hanzo laughed.

"Genji, you are my brother and I love you, but I will  _ not _ sugar-coat the fact that your coworker and I fucked. Numerous times. The flirting is not one-sided."

"Oh my god, Hanzo. No, you -  _ you _ ? You and  _ Jesse _ ? You?" Genji said.

"He's a good shot and a better man. Without him, I would not have come to Overwatch. I would not have forgiven myself the way you've forgiven me."

Genji sat, seeming to think the situation over. As he did so, Hanzo began to type on the holopad, starting a new message to Jesse. He'd better update him on the situation before he talked to Winston and the others. After some time of silence, Genji turned to him once again, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand.

“Hey, Hanzo.” He said.

“Hm?” Hanzo hummed, hitting send and looking up.

“I want the details of how you and Jesse met.” He said, and Hanzo rolled his eyes.

  
  
  


Thinking back to when he and Jesse met was  _ interesting _ , to say the least. At first, he'd thought Jesse was following  _ him _ , frequenting all of the same places he was utilizing to track down Josuke. A particular night after leaving the hotel across from Josuke's, Hanzo saw him again. So he changed course, waited, and struck when the moment was right.

And soon enough, Jesse was pinned to the wall by the arc of Hanzo's bow on his throat behind some hole-in-the-wall club that Josuke frequented. 

"Who sent you?" He demanded. He wasn't expecting Jesse to laugh. Or speak fluent Japanese.

"Myself. Not after you, though - don't worry yourself none." 

His eyes narrowed. Hanzo pushed his bow against Jesse's neck further, staring him down. 

Or, up. Jesse  _ was _ taller.

"Who are you hunting?" He asked. Jesse raised a brow.

"Alright, mister twenty questions. You gonna answer me the same thing?"

"If you are not lying, yes. I will."

"Fine, alright. There's a guy in that club right now makin' a deal that I don't want holdin' up." Jesse's eyes scanned Hanzo's face. "Yakuza deals. Probably best if it don't go through."

"Perhaps we have the same target, then." Hanzo lessened the pressure. Jesse breathed in a good bit of air, smiling.

"Now, that's only gonna be a problem if you're doin' this for the reward."

"I want no such thing. I only want him dead for… personal reasons."

"Screwed you over on a deal or somethin'?" Jesse said, looking over the tattoo on Hanzo's shoulder and arm. Should have realized sooner, he told himself, got another yakuza to deal with.

"You could say that." Hanzo stepped back slightly. "His family and my family are… Close. And I wish to end that allyship."

"Interesting. Listen, now, I'm just throwin' this out there, but how about we team up on this? You know the guy personally, I just want the cash from dealing with him - seems beneficial for both of us." Jesse offered. Hanzo thought about it for several long moments.

_ He looks like he walked out of an American parody cartoon,  _ he thought, _ but if he's being honest… _

"Do not get in my way. I had planned to do this alone, but another set of eyes could help."

"Got it."

The next few days were slow - they tracked Josuke's frequent haunts, made plans to corner him. 

And when they found him, it was a quick task to take care of him. 

Hanzo's dragons reassured him that he was making the right choice. 

Jesse offered to help Hanzo out on his next few hits. Hanzo agreed, and then they finally shared their names.

"Hanzo, you wouldn't happen to be a Shimada, would you?" Jesse asked, and knew his answer at the way Hanzo's eyes widened in panic. "Well, I'll be." 

"You know of my clan?" Hanzo asked, latching the guitar case he'd bought the week prior, his bow snug inside along with his supply of arrows.

"Know your brother. Worked with him." Jesse said, and Hanzo froze.

"Recently?" He asked, and Jesse shook his head. 

"Nah. Years ago. But he did send me a letter recently… mentioned you." Jesse pulled a cigar, pocketing the case. He lit it and took a long drag before continuing, smoke puffing from his lips as he did so. "Said he was worried about you. Guess he offered you to join him and you haven't responded yet."

Hanzo stared down at the guitar case before him, fingers scratching at the fabric covering it. 

"I… I can't. Not yet. I'm not deserving of his forgiveness yet."

"I'd say otherwise, given that you're hunting down the people that I can only assume caused this whole mess."

Hanzo laughed, short and cold. 

"I have to prove myself." He said, eyes downcast. The fabric of the guitar case was very interesting at the moment, it seemed.

"To him, or to yourself?" Jesse asked, flicking his cigar. Ash fell onto the case where Hanzo was staring, leaving grey dust on the deep blue. Gently, he swept it away.

Hanzo didn't know how to answer that question at the time.

The following week, Jesse used part of the reward money to replace Hanzo's clothes - he gifted him two spare changes of clothes and a new jacket. Casual looking, not attention-drawing like his  _ kyudo-gi _ had been. 

Hanzo appreciated the gesture. It was the first gift he'd received in years.  _ Possibly  _ the first gift out of good will since his mother’s disappearance.

He left his  _ kyudo-gi _ in Shimada castle, forcing Jesse to make a detour there before they left the country to track more bounties. It felt like a weight lifting off of him as he placed it gingerly in front of his old swords. 

Another piece of his past laid to rest, surrounded by the torn tapestries and punctured tatami mats from his encounter with Genji.

A month later, Hanzo shaved his hair, trimming away the grey he'd accumulated. Jesse told him he looked like a whole new person, and Hanzo liked the idea of that. A week after that, he pierced his ears. They had the money - hits were easy to find in the current state of the world. Jesse usually took the majority of the rewards, not that Hanzo minded - simplicity was beginning to suit him, he figured.

Hanzo spent time on touching up his tattoo, pierced more than his ears, and Jesse continued to encourage him. They travelled further, and with each new place, Hanzo felt a little bit less like the heir to the Shimada legacy, and more like Hanzo. 

_ Just _ Hanzo.

  
  
  


They brought the news to Winston the next day. Jesse had been informed of the change in privacy for him, but he seemed quite alright with it given the fact that it was Overwatch. Together, Hanzo and Genji went up to Winston’s lab to speak with him. It was nearing noon, the sun shining in through the windows and reflecting off of the surfaces of Winston's desks. Winston sat at his computer, pulling up Jesse’s old Overwatch file when they mentioned his name. Sojourn had herself propped up against the desk by her hip, arms crossed as she watched Hanzo’s expressions curiously.

"So you've for sure been in contact with Jesse?" Winston asked. Beside him, ECHO floated, curiosity across her features. She  _ was _ the last person to have met Jesse - until now.

"Often. He's part of how I found you." Hanzo said, crossing his arms. Beside him, Genji nodded. 

"And he's been giving you all this information… from what source?" Sojourn asked, her expression stern from where she stood.

"He has multiple. He can explain better than I can - but he's requesting that everyone meet with him on his private land. He’s paranoid about someone tracking him through communications." Hanzo explained. Winston seemed to understand this, tapping his chin with one large finger.

“Do you have the coordinates to his location?” Winston asked, and Hanzo handed him the holopad with the encrypted message containing the location. At that, Winston seemed pleased. “It looks like he still knows the old methods we used of hiding information. I’ll just put this into my system and we’ll get something set up in the next few days - Athena, remind me to update Jesse on our new encryption systems.”

Winston and Athena began exchanging words, getting fully invested into their work. Hanzo took that as his cue to leave, hearing the tail end of the conversation between Winston and his computer. Sojourn followed after him, pulling him aside in the hall. Her hand found his shoulder, shoving him against the wall as she cornered him. 

“I don’t know much about you, you know.” She said. “It seems a bit strange to me that Genji’s older brother somehow just knows Jesse McCree. Surely you understand that.”

Hanzo nodded. Of course it looked suspicious.

“Jesse and I met some time back. He helped me.” Hanzo said, and explained the rest as Sojourn leaned her shoulder against the wall beside him, watching him with stoic eyes. She didn’t seem entirely convinced, but Genji found his way next to the both of them and reiterated that yes, the story was true - even if the part of his brother and Jesse being an item was a little strange to him. 

“Why don’t we sit down together,” Sojourn suggested, walking the two of them down the hall and toward the common areas, “And you can tell me in detail all about your adventures with the cowboy.”

  
  


Hanzo told them about the day things had gone wrong, but also the day that he’d fully invested all of his trust into Jesse.

They hadn't expected to find themselves in the middle of an omnic invasion. This one was from a dropship rather than an omnium directly, meaning one moment it was peaceful and the next, people were running for their lives. 

Jesse and Hanzo had been doing fine - they wanted to get out of the little southwestern town, back to Jesse's farmhouse and away from this. They didn't have the firepower to deal with the sheer amount of hostile omnics. That hope was dashed as they were forced into an alley, cornered and panicking. Hanzo could climb, sure, but Jesse?

Jesse fired Peacekeeper, getting two good shots in before a rocket hit the ground between them, sending dust and rubble all over. They both tried to evade the worst of it, and as Hanzo rolled to the side he realized he was out of arrows. He heard Jesse groan, watched his serape move, covering the majority of him. He saw a glimpse of blood on his temple, his hat blown to the side of the alley. 

“Where’s Peacekeeper?” Hanzo asked, and Jesse pointed over at the silver handgun on the ground, just out of his reach. Hanzo dove for it, making sure there were bullets inside before pointing it in the direction of the encroaching omnics. His hair began to stand on end as he started to recite the summoning of his dragons.

Peacekeeper began to glow, electric bursts of white-blue zipping along Hanzo’s arm overtop his coat. The energy swept around the gun, nearly blinding in its brightness. He pulled the trigger, and the following crack was so deafeningly loud that Hanzo felt his ears ringing for the following moments as he watched the aftermath of his shot. The dragons appeared in a burst, but rather than legless serpents, they dove into the fray on four legs each, snarling and roaring as they tore apart the omnics in their way. 

It truly was a strange sight to see. But his dragons seemed delighted by their new mobility, ripping through whatever threatened their master. With every swipe of their massive claws, Hanzo felt more of his energy drain. One of the dragons grabbed a larger omnic in its maw, tossing it so far that it shattered upon impact on the ground. 

Metal crunched under their feet, their claws digging into the ground, and Hanzo felt exhaustion flood through him as he collapsed on top of Jesse’s chest.

When he awoke, it was to Jesse nudging him, panic lacing his voice. The dragons had receded, and the sky above was covered with deep, steel-grey storm clouds.

“C’mon, darlin’.” He heard, his eyes opening to dim light and Jesse’s face overtop of his. 

“Jesse,” He breathed, feeling much too exhausted to do much else.

“Oh thank god,” Jesse said, laughing. The blood on his temple had dried, though there was a trail of it down the side of his face. “Oh god, I was so scared, Hanzo.”

Weakly, Hanzo reached for his hand. Jesse squeezed it, then brought it to his lips to kiss his knuckles. Something passed between their gazes as the relief that they were both  _ alive  _ flooded over them.

“Don’t scare me like that again.” He said, and Hanzo smiled.

He was fine. Just tired.

Jesse leaned toward him, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. Hanzo sighed through his nose.

“Kiss me, you coward,” He teased, and Jesse laughed. At first, as though it were a joke - but after realising the truth behind his words, Jesse obliged, pressing into a kiss that spoke more than his words could have. Hanzo’s mind teased that this would be a strange thing to have to explain to his brother, but he didn’t care. 

He just wanted Jesse to kiss him again.

  
  


He opted not to tell Sojourn and Genji the details of his sudden romance with Jesse - he offhandedly mentioned their first kiss, desperate and covered in dust and blood. But other than that, he left the rest of their relationship vague - they were involved, Jesse helped him join Overwatch, and that was all that mattered.

Instead, he focused on the jobs they'd taken together, and the way Jesse had tracked Overwatch down to get Hanzo to them. It wasn't difficult for him - since he knew a lot about Overwatch's old ways and patterns, he simply used that alongside the comical amount of tech hidden away in his farmhouse outside Santa Fe. Genji mentioned something about Jesse having been one of Blackwatch's best trackers, prompting a conversation about just what Blackwatch was. 

Hanzo hadn't realized it was part of the reason Overwatch fell; he had simply assumed that the world felt it didn't need heroes any longer. At the time of its downfall, he was more interested in hunting rogue clan members than paying attention to the world at large. Sure, the Omnic Crisis ravaged many parts of the world, but much of Japan was untouched and safe for him to pursue his targets. 

But that was then - and now, Hanzo had the opportunity to work with Overwatch, and he was more than grateful. 

Sojourn left to take care of some other business, leaving Hanzo and Genji to their devices. They nabbed part of some cake Reinhardt had made, sitting across from each other at one of the tables in the communal dining hall. At one point, Hanzo attempted an old trick where he told Genji to look away ( "Lúcio is over there," ) and tried to snatch one of the berries off of his plate. His cover was blown, however, as Lúcio commented that he was not, in fact, over there, and Genji fought Hanzo's fork away with his own.

They laughed about it together, and Lúcio left the room after patting Genji on the shoulder and giving him a gentle smile. Hanzo raised his brows at the affection and Genji waved his fork.

"You know about Jesse and I," Hanzo said, leaning back. "I don't get to know about your boyfriend?"

"We're not," Genji started, tapping his fork against his plate a few times before setting it down after noticing the attention it drew from Reinhardt and Brigitte sitting across the room. "We just… flirt now and again. Nothing serious."

"Hm." Hanzo made a sound, tilting his head. "Not planning on breaking any hearts, are you?"

"No, no. No. Lúcio is too… I'd never." Genji said, fiddling his fingers. "I just don't want to ruin any chance I have."

"At least you're being smart about this one." Hanzo said, and Genji rolled his eyes.

"I know, I know, I was such a troublemaker when I was younger, I broke _ so many hearts _ \- but I don't want to do that any more." Genji leaned on his arm, staring at the doorway Lúcio left from. He sighed. "I just want something… something. I don't know."

“During times like these, sometimes you need someone to fall back on.” Hanzo said, folding his hands together. Genji tilted his head.

“Is that what it’s like for you and Jesse?” He asked. Hanzo hummed.

“We need each other. And if Lúcio makes you happy, Genji…”

Genji laughed.

“You sound like father giving me permission to date someone.” He said, and Hanzo looked confused for just a moment before shaking his head.

“That wasn’t my intention,” Hanzo said. “I just mean… It can be hard to find happiness with the world like it is. Do what makes you happy.”

There was a moment of pause before Genji grinned.

“Like you doing Jesse, right?” 

Hanzo’s mouth dropped open.

“Genji!” He said, but his words were drowned out by Genji’s laughter. 

It felt like old times.

  
  
  


He went back to his room content, with Jesse at the front of his thoughts and sleep just behind that. His holopad blinked with a notification of a message and when he opened it, it was from Jesse, but nothing time-sensitive.

J ( 4:32 pm ) : miss you, sweetheart. 

Hanzo smiled at the simplicity of it and tapped out a reply, complete with a little heart at the end, and his response was immediate. Jesse asked him about how things went, what he needed to expect, and Hanzo relayed the details of his conversation with Winston and their plan to head to his farmhouse soon. Jesse was excited by that, he and made sure Hanzo was aware. 

They exchanged words for some time, content to simply  _ be _ . Hanzo found himself lying on his bed, holopad resting on his chest as he typed out his responses. They couldn’t call, couldn’t share pictures, so when things took a turn toward something more heated, they had only words to rely on. 

And, of course, memories to fall back on. Jesse mentioned something about the night they’d shared when they were out in South America somewhere and Hanzo felt a surge of need right then. He typed out a reply of how badly he wanted that to happen again, and Jesse listed off the things he’d repeat from that night, making Hanzo’s cheeks flush with every word he read.

They’d had a good night - stopped a mugging just out of chance that they were in the area, and had hurried along to their hotel room afterward. Hanzo’s guitar case was dropped beside their bed and Jesse’s hands were on him almost immediately, grabbing at his coat and unzipping it without breaking their kiss. Shoes had been left by the door, socks on the way to the bed. Jesse’s serape was torn from his shoulders and tossed onto a chair nearby, the end of it barely gracing the floor.

Hanzo pulled Jesse to him, his coat still on one arm, biting at his lips as he sat himself on the edge of the hotel bed.

“Eager,” Jesse teased, and Hanzo bumped his chest with one hand. 

“Something about seeing you like this,” Hanzo said, running his hands up over Jesse’s shoulders, fingers drifting toward his hair to toy with it, “You, being so…”

“Heroic?” Jesse asked, and though it was a playful jab, Hanzo’s eyes darkened.

“You are a good man, Jesse.” Hanzo breathed, and pulled him down for another kiss. This one was deep, open-mouthed. Less desperate than before, but needy nonetheless. The flannel Jesse wore was pulled open by eager hands, and the plain t-shirt underneath that was pulled up so Hanzo could slide his hands along his stomach and sides.

Jesse pulled back from his kisses to mouth along Hanzo’s neck, up to his ear, and lowered his voice.

“So are you, Hanzo.” 

For a second, Hanzo went silent. His brows knit together as he took in Jesse’s words, prompting Jesse to pull back and study his face.

“Hanzo?” He said, and was answered with a short laugh.

“I’m not… I’m not a good person, Jesse.” Hanzo said, and Jesse let out a long sigh.

“You are. You’re a very good man, otherwise I don’t think we’d be here.” Jesse nudged him, pushing him down onto the sheets. Hanzo didn’t protest, simply frowning at the words. Hands slipped under his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Then there were lips against his neck again, travelling down his collarbone, warming him. Jesse’s voice rumbled, quiet against his skin.

“You’ve gotten yourself so far,” Jesse said, punctuating it with a bite to his collarbone, “I am so proud of you, sweetheart.”

Hanzo felt need swell inside of him, as well as -

Hope? Affection? Gratefulness? 

Whatever it was, it encouraged him to press Jesse closer to him as he made his way lower, kisses scattered over his chest. His beard scraped his skin, just on the edge of tickling him, and Hanzo found himself smiling as Jesse rambled off more affections, detailing just what he found inspiring about him, the things he’d started falling for. 

“Come up here,” Hanzo breathed, and Jesse complied, pulling himself up to kiss him once again. Hanzo worked at Jesse’s shirt again, helping him out of it and only parting long enough to pull his undershirt over his head before continuing, taking in the distant taste of whiskey and spice and cigar smoke. They took things slow, hands pulling at the remainder of their clothes and pulling Hanzo’s hair free from its bun. Mouths trailed from each others lips to throats and marks were sucked into skin. 

“Let me take care of you tonight, Hanzo.” Jesse’s voice rumbled against Hanzo’s ear, bringing a shiver up Hanzo’s spine. He nodded, tucking his face next to Jesse’s. A solid kiss was pressed against Hanzo’s cheek before Jesse leaned back, straddling his hips. He leaned over the side of the bed into one of their bags peeking out from underneath the bedframe, rummaging until he finally produced a bottle in his hand.

“Crushing my hips, Jesse,” Hanzo warned, pinching Jesse’s thigh. That earned him a laugh and Jesse backed off, nudging his legs apart.

“I’ll take this slow for you from here on out, alright? No crushin’.” Jesse said, uncapping the bottle of lube. He warmed as he spread it over his fingers, smiling down at Hanzo. “Now relax.”

Hanzo shuffled until he was comfortable, relaxing against the pillows and putting a lazy hand around his half-hard cock. Moments later and Jesse was pushing a single finger into him, a slow and enjoyable pressure. They’d started having sex a few months ago, insatiable at first, and while they swapped positions regularly, Jesse had discovered that making Hanzo squirm with gentleness and close attention made things intense for him - most likely because he wasn’t used to being cared for in such a way.

Jesse pressed a kiss to Hanzo’s chest as he worked him open, a single finger turning to two, then three, Hanzo’s hand pumping himself in time with Jesse’s work. His mouth slipped open as Jesse’s kisses went from the middle of his chest to one nipple, then the opposite, and then his tongue traced the tail of the dragon on his chest and made Hanzo shiver again.

Finally, Jesse pulled his hand free and settled between his legs, working lube over his cock. Hanzo smiled up at him, his cheeks flushed and hair mussed on the pillows. His brows furrowed as Jesse pushed inside, just as gentle as his fingers had worked him open. A breathy sigh of Jesse’s name left his lips, eyes closing as he leaned his head back.

“God,” Jesse said, holding himself up over Hanzo with one arm. The other helped pull one of Hanzo’s legs over his hip, encouraging him to position both in said manner so Jesse could scoot forward, closer, and reach a better angle, obvious by the pleased hum from Hanzo’s throat. He moved in shallow movements at first, rolling his hips in a gentle manner to get Hanzo accustomed to the feeling until Hanzo was urging him wordlessly, squeezing his legs in a plea for more.

Jesse obliged, his hand sliding along Hanzo’s leg up to his hip and holding him there. He kept his movements slow, hovering above Hanzo to make eye contact with him until Hanzo looked away, cheeks and chest flushed a deep pink. The smile across his lips was undeniable, though, as was the way he breathed out pleasured sighs and sounds. 

“Feelin’ alright?” Jesse asked, and he was met with a nod and then Hanzo’s hands on his face, pulling him down for a kiss that left his lips bruised and wet. With every thrust, Hanzo made a short sound, clinging to him, biting down onto his own bottom lip as their foreheads pressed together. Determined to keep their pace gentle, Jesse tucked his face beside Hanzo’s neck and kissed him there, teeth scraping his skin and tongue tracing the line of his throat. Hanzo’s fingers trailed from his beard into his hair, tugging at it. The sharp, sudden pain spurred Jesse on, breaking his momentum, his hips bucking sharper. 

“Jesse,” Hanzo gasped, repeating his name twice more, swearing in Japanese and then English. He sucked in a breath, one hand leaving Jesse’s hair to stroke himself, tightening around Jesse with each movement. The hand that was left in his hair continued to pull, and Jesse found it rather amusing that Hanzo had found a way to get what he wanted even now.

“Fuck,” Jesse laughed, kissing him again, quickening his pace and feeling himself teeter toward that edge, closer and closer, focusing in on the breathy sounds from Hanzo’s lips. Hanzo pulled his legs fully around Jesse’s hips to force him in deeper, tossing his head back again and opening his mouth for a full-bodied moan. His ankles crossed behind his hips and Jesse’s shallow thrusts turned faster, more desperate, until he groaned loudly against Hanzo’s neck, riding out his orgasm as Hanzo squeezed around him. 

Hanzo’s hand worked faster as Jesse leaned up, still inside him as he let the aftershocks ride through his body, chest heaving. He moved to pull out but was stopped as Hanzo shook his head, staring up at him, and he got the hint and stayed put until finally, Hanzo spilled over himself, a mess across his abdomen and an absolutely filthy sound dropping from his lips. His free hand clawed at Jesse’s chest, nails digging into his skin and fingers desperate for something to hold onto while he rode it out until he was truly finished.

Jesse pulled out, and Hanzo caught his wrist before he got out of bed. He was tugged down into a desperate kiss and maneuvered until he was straddling Hanzo’s hips again, feeling his grin against his mouth and then an amused whisper,

“Don’t tell me you’re done already, cowboy.” 

Well, then. He couldn’t protest that, now could he?

  
  


Hanzo looked back at that memory fondly - and with much delight. Jesse must have, as well, if his string of hearts sent Hanzo’s way were any indication. Reminiscing made Hanzo’s night easy, if a little messy. He messaged Jesse about needing a shower and got much the same in return. His holopad was shut off and set down onto his bedside table, but his limbs didn’t quite feel like moving much post-orgasm, despite the cooling mess on himself. 

He never really imagined his life taking this route - a long-distance relationship with a man working as a vigilante, getting off to fond memories of their escapades in hotel rooms around the world, or, well…

Joining Overwatch. He’d never really considered that in his life, not until Genji had told him he’d needed to pick a side, and even then! Even then, he hadn’t known Overwatch was one of those options. He’d thought something else, something different.

Overwatch had been the least likely thing on his list.

He stood slowly, grabbing his pants and underwear from the floor beside his bed before heading into the attached bathroom to shower, pulling his hair from its bun as he made his way over. His reflection caught his eye, his piercings glinting in the fluorescent lights overhead, and he stared himself in the eyes for several moments.

He’d changed so much.

His father wouldn’t be proud of him, he was sure. 

Would his mother?

Hanzo considered the way he looked less angry, a little bit more open and a little bit more himself, and decided that if anyone would have been proud of his outcome, it would have been his mother.

  
  
  


Winston pieced together a plan to meet at Jesse’s farmhouse the next week. Between then and his time spent with Genji, Hanzo had agreed with Angela to meet with the therapist she’d mentioned. His first encounter with him was a short meeting where he simply introduced himself and exchanged vital information. The day following that, he’d passed the man in the hall and had gotten a cheerful smile as he did so. 

And then he met with him in his office for real.

Now, he was a very nice man. Older, tanned skin and grey hair and dark freckles across his face. But the entire idea of therapy made Hanzo hesitant, no matter how genuinely the man smiled at him.

“Doctor Moretti,” Hanzo said, giving the man a half-bow as he entered, and was given a wave of a hand in return.

“Niccolò is fine. Or Nic.” The man said, and motioned toward the comfortable looking chairs in the office. Hanzo took one of them with armrests, noting the various plants and what looked to be handheld toys around the room. 

“Nic,” Hanzo said, unease in his voice. “I still am not sure if I need to be here.”

“With what you’ve already told me, I think this will be very beneficial. And even without the history I’ve been told about,” Niccolò pulled a holopad from the desk beside him, opening Hanzo’s file. “Therapy is good for everyone. Especially those fighting in something like the Omnic Crisis. It’s why I took up this profession in the first place.”

Hanzo raised a brow, resting his hands on his knees. Niccolò continued.

“I’ve seen just about every agent - the returning ones - in these halls right now. The Crisis put a lot of stress on everyone, and sometimes… A shoulder to lean on is all someone needs.” 

He considered that for a long moment, brows knit together. 

“My brother said he’s seen you,” Hanzo said, and Niccolò nodded.

“Yes, a long time ago. Of course, I wasn’t the one that set him on the path he eventually found, but… I helped him early on. He needed it.” 

Rubbing at his wrists, Hanzo glanced away from Niccolò once again, looking for anything at all to focus on. A brightly colored plastic bauble caught his eye, shaped like a hexagon with a large ball suspended inside of it. A fidget toy of some sort, he figured.

“Hanzo,” Niccolò said, bringing him from his distraction, “What do you think prompted Angela to send you my way?”

The air buzzed with tension - at least from Hanzo’s side of things. He stared harder at the toys in the room, then at the floor. 

“I’m not a good person.” He admitted. Niccolò hummed.

“I think otherwise - and I’m sure many you know would say the same.” Niccolò said, tapping something out onto the holopad. “What makes you think you’re not a good person?”

_ These questions are terrible, _ Hanzo thought, his fingers digging into the fabric of his pants. 

He answered truthfully, and the questions rolled through after that - soon enough, Hanzo was wiping at his eyes as he explained the pressure that had been put on him his entire life, the way he was manipulated and controlled to a point where he’d hurt his own brother. And then the way he’d been taught he had to be nothing but perfect - one mistake and he was reprimanded, one mistake and he was punished for a week. Niccolò had been quick to establish that as unreasonable and highly unattainable, pointed out the way it was only serving to hurt Hanzo in the long run, and Hanzo considered that maybe…

Maybe being perfect wasn’t possible. 

He almost expected a punishment for that thought. The clan elders would have had his head, had they heard him say such a thing when he was younger - but here, Niccolò only made sure he knew how ridiculous the notion of being completely perfect was. The clock ticked past the hour and a half mark and Hanzo didn’t even realise until Niccolo started to deescalate him, winding down his strung-out emotions until he felt calm and collected enough that he could breathe fully again. 

Hanzo rubbed at his eyes as he stood.

“If you take one thing from our talk, let it be this: you are simply meant to be you. Not perfect, not anything more than  _ you _ . And you have good people willing to show you that every day.” Niccolò said, standing from his chair. He set his holopad down on the desk beside him as he walked with Hanzo to the door, making eye contact with him before he opened it.

“I,” Hanzo started, mouth dry. His eyes burned, his voice felt tight. “Thank you.”

A beat passed before Niccolò smiled at him.

“You’re a good man, Hanzo.”

Hanzo felt his chest tighten. 

  
  
  


It took some planning and some maneuvering, but they gathered together people Jesse would feel most comfortable around in order to meet at his farmhouse. Hanzo was excited to see him again - prompting a comment from Genji about how it’d been so long since he’d seen Hanzo smile the way he was at that moment. Hanzo simply shushed him and went to pack his bow with perhaps a bit more pep in his walk than usual.

Sojourn opted to stay behind, but gave Lena the communicator in case something went wrong. Otherwise, she wanted a full report afterward. 

The Aurora was enough for this mission, they figured, and set off in it to the southwest United States. A long way off from their current location, but doable within a day with the Aurora’s speed and Lena’s skill. They left the Aurora in a secure location and wrangled together a large van that Winston and Reinhardt both could fit into with no problem. 

As they approached the farmhouse, Hanzo felt a sense of relief. Just the sight of the little ranch-style house was enough to comfort him. He'd been there twice before, in-between bounties when Jesse needed time to rest. It looked just as cozy as it always did, the orange light peeking through the curtains in the blue of the setting sun. 

" _ That's _ where he's been living?" Genji said, reaching over the seat of the truck. Brigitte seemed undisturbed, focusing wholly on driving down the long dirt road. 

"It's a nice little home," Hanzo replied, unbuckling his seatbelt before Brigitte had even fully rolled the truck to a stop. She made a concerned sound, but said nothing, as Hanzo waited until the truck was stopped to open the door. As he did so, the front door of the house opened and out stepped Jesse McCree, cigar in hand. He smiled as Brigitte opened the back doors of the truck and Reinhardt and Winston climbed out. From the back seat, Genji, Angela, and Lena hopped out.

"Good to see you," Jesse said, smiling wider as they all approached. "And  _ real _ good to see you, sugar." 

He tipped his hat to Hanzo, who scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Just let us inside." Hanzo laughed, and Genji did a double-take between the two, looking surprised at the way they spoke so amicably to each other. The door opened, revealing a cozy, warm-hued living area. Hardwood floors were accented with rugs of various warm and neutral colors, and most of the furniture looked brown or wooden, a stark difference to the white and chrome of Gibraltar’s furnishings. 

As everyone piled inside, Jesse made a fuss of greeting them all. Lena gave him a tight hug, pulling him down as she did so. Genji offered a one-armed hug but was pulled in tighter almost immediately, causing him to laugh and shove at Jesse's side.

"You and my brother, then?" Genji said, and Jesse shrugged.

"He's a great guy. You should be proud of him." At that, Hanzo perked up, staring at the two of them.

There was a pause.

"I'm  _ very _ proud of him." Genji assured him, and Hanzo felt his breath stutter. 

"Shucks, look at him. He's gonna cry. Come here, darlin'," Jesse said, letting go of Genji to offer his open arms to Hanzo. Hesitation filled Hanzo's stance for a moment before he enthusiastically wrapped his arms around Jesse's torso. He tucked his face against his neck, taking in the warmth of his body heat. Lips pressed against the top of his head before Jesse loosened his grip.

"Let's all get comfortable, huh?" Jesse offered, waving an arm at his couches and chairs. Hanzo still leaned on him, following Jesse as he made his way to the recliner across from the couch. 

"This is nice, Jesse." Angela said, her eyes wandering the room. 

"Thanks. I needed a place to lay low every now and again, but I figured I might as well make it homey." Jesse sat down and everyone else followed suit: Hanzo made himself comfortable on the arm of the chair, his hand clasped in Jesse's. Brigitte and Lena each took one of the dining chairs to sit on, while Reinhardt, Genji, and Angela took the couch. Winston looked for somewhere to stand where he wouldn't be in the way, settling just beside the couch.

"So. Where do we start?" Jesse asked, watching the rest of the group for any reaction. They looked between each other, seeming contemplative. Jesse reached for a holopad on the side table to his chair. Hanzo looked down at it, a brow raised.

"Got any good information for us?" Lena asked, resting her chin on the back rest of the dining chair.

"I do. But all the seriousness - do we really wanna start like this? It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other." Jesse said, his free hand still holding onto Hanzo's. 

"We'd love to chat," Winston said, "But we only have so much time. Maybe - answer me this. Where are you getting all your information?"

Jesse frowned.

"I don't wanna blow anyone's cover, see. But I've got some old friends with eyes in good places, alright?"

Hanzo squeezed his hand. Jesse squeezed in return, letting go to properly hold and use the holopad.

"I… suppose that's reasonable." Winston nodded. He’d figure out the details of Jesse’s contacts later - for now, they’d take a lead and trust it the best they could unless something went terribly amiss. "Fine. Alright, what's the biggest news you've got?"

"You mean besides all the omnic invasions and Talon activity?" Jesse asked, and then began tapping through some documents on the holopad. "Actually, I've got something pretty big. Reinhardt, I was going through some files and found something  _ real _ interesting on you."

Reinhardt raised a brow, leaning forward from his place on the couch.

"Found your name on some rather official,  _ personal _ papers." He made sure to emphasize the word  _ personal _ , tapping one of his fingers against the holopad. "Translated them from  _ Dutch _ , and… well. You want it out in the open, or we keepin' this secret between us?" 

A tense moment passed - Reinhardt frowned, his expression turning slightly cold.

"Why did you need those papers?" He asked, and Jesse clicked his tongue in response.

"Didn’t need ‘em. Found ‘em through my contact in Talon. You're not gonna believe me, though." 

"I will try to keep an open mind." Reinhardt sounded confused at best. 

"A certain someone else listed on this document is still alive. Might be in our best interest to help him, too."

Reinhardt paled.

"Jesse," he said, tilting his head. "I went to his funeral."

"There wasn't a body at that funeral. Just a memorial photo and a story. Sound like a couple’a other people we all went to funerals for?" Jesse said, leaning forward. "Turns out, the guy never died. He just got carted off somewhere 'cause the government funding his project didn't know how to handle his particular situation. Course, I don't think anyone could've."

The pad Jesse was looking at opened a new window, pulling up what looked to be a surveillance video from a rather empty looking laboratory, save for the form of a large man and several computers. The sound turned on and Jesse turned the screen to show Reinhardt - and everyone else sitting next to him - the footage. A man's voice was heard, quiet, humming something to himself. And then the distinct sound of an air-sealed door opening and closing, and a voice most of them recognized: Doctor O'Deorain.

"Doctor de Kuiper," she said, crossing over to where the man was sitting. "How are things going?"

The man rambled off some scientific jargon that nobody in Jesse's little farmhouse understood save for Winston. Moira gave an affirmative noise and questioned him further. The man stood and, as he did so, Reinhardt's breath hitched.

"That's - that's my Siebren," he said, standing to get a closer look at the screen. "That's him. Jesse, how did you-?"

Jesse paused the video, the image now on the form of the man - Siebren - who was tall enough that the top of his head was cut off by the top of the screen. 

"My contact in Talon sent me this. Apparently, the guy barely knows who he is anymore and is just doin’ whatever Talon tells him to."

"Wait. Wait." Lena said, raising a hand. "Reinhardt, who is he?"

Reinhardt's face turned stony, his lips in a tight line.

"My husband." He said, his voice even.

"You were  _ married _ ?" Lena balked, her voice raising. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because Siebren was already well-known. And he didn't want his colleagues to think my connection to Overwatch was what was funding his research." Reinhardt sat down once again, folding his hands together. "We kept it quiet. We were simply happy... keeping it between us."

"So, after I figured this out, I started doing some more digging." Jesse said, passing over the opportunity for more questions - Reinhardt seemed grateful for that. "Talon had been using him to level research facilities and take whatever they want - and it seems like he doesn't have any memory of doing it."

"He's not like that, though," Reinhardt said, brows furrowing. 

"Not so gentle when they’re pumping him full of god-knows-what to control his emotions and whatnot.” Jesse said. Reinhardt’s face fell, but just as quickly he scowled, staring at Jesse.

“I want to help him.” Reinhardt said. “I  _ need  _ to help him. He doesn’t deserve this, he - what am I supposed to do?”

“Keep an eye out for any activity from him. I’m hoping we can maybe snag him from Talon when they’re planning another research facility heist, but we’ve gotta be coordinated. My contact has been adjusting the amounts of … Whatever it is they’re giving to him to make him easier to work with, but I don’t know when they’re going to notice that.” Jesse explained. 

“Jesse, you have to know how concerning it is that you have a contact in Talon, right?” Lena said, resting her chin on the backrest of the dining chair. “Who is it?”

Jesse frowned, breathing harshly through his nose. He couldn’t just say it, could he? And who would believe him, following another ghost? And what if someone outside heard him? 

Well. He constantly checked the house for bugs, made sure nobody could get in - hell, he had the property lined with anti-recording equipment, tripwires and scramblers and even old-fashioned garbage just to screw with anyone trying to get in on his work. Hanzo reached down, putting his hand on Jesse’s shoulder to massage him through his flannel.

“It’s…” Jesse started, finding his mouth dry. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter, then into the opposite one for his cigar case. Something to help him de-stress. Anything. He lit the cigar and took a long drag, shaking his head.

“Jesse?” Hanzo asked, reaching toward him again. This time, his hand stroked through his hair.

“It’s Gabe.” Jesse said, smoke blowing from his mouth. “It’s Gabe, he’s alive and he’s been…”

“He’s the Reaper,” Angela said, and Jesse’s gaze snapped up to look at her.

“Yeah. Yeah, how did you--” He started, and she shook her head.

“Ana told me. A while ago - before I answered Winston’s recall.” She said, “We encountered him in Cairo, and… I find it hard to believe he’s working with you, but…”

“The Reaper is the one that tried to kill me,” Winston said, leaning forward. Jesse shook his head, taking another long drag.

“He didn’t try to kill you, not really.” Jesse explained, watching as Winston’s expression turned from anger to suspicion. “You want to know what he was doing?” 

The room fell quiet. Jesse stood up, motioning his arms outward and around the room. The smoke from his cigar in one hand trailed behind as he did so.

“This. Winston, listen, this is going to sound like complete and utter horseshit, but he attacked Gibraltar because he  _ knew  _ you weren’t gonna initiate the recall unless you felt scared enough to do it.” 

Again, silence fell over the room. Eyes stayed trained on Jesse’s form as he glanced between everyone, desperate for them to believe him. When nobody said anything, he shoved his cigar back into his mouth and shook his head, muttering under his breath.

“Actually,” Genji said, raising his hand. “That makes sense. Reyes always knew how to get us to do what he wanted, even if it was some backwards-ass loophole he had to jump us through.”

Jesse exhaled around his cigar. 

“Yeah. I’m still workin’ for him even now, huh?” He laughed, and the conversation turned toward something less tense and more reminiscent. Jesse helped plan their next move and reassured them all that trusting Gabe was the right thing to do. The night crept further along, and ultimately the team decided to take turns staying up and let the others catch some sleep before their trip back.

Winston offered Jesse to rejoin them, and Jesse hesitated.

“I can call Sojourn tonight and have her bring a ship for all of your equipment if that would help convince you,” Winston offered, and Jesse found that hard to refuse - 

Especially after Hanzo gave him a pointed look. 

_ It _ would _ be nice being closer to him again, _ Jesse decided, and that settled it.

  
  


Once everyone had figured out their rotation, most of the team retired to sleep. Angela took Jesse’s couch, and Lena the recliner Jesse had been sitting in before. Brigitte and Reinhardt took the van, and Winston and Genji decided to stay up for the first shift. Jesse directed Hanzo toward his bedroom at the far end of the house, a hand on his back as they made their way down the hall.

"Missed you," Jesse said, leaning down once the door was closed behind them. Hanzo hummed and tilted his head up, taking his kiss in a practiced motion. They lingered for a few moments, pulling away just enough to smile at each other, noses touching. Hanzo's hand rested on Jesse's chest just a moment longer, hidden now behind closed doors. Of all the places Hanzo felt comfortable, Jesse's little farmhouse was most likely the one he felt best in. Jesse himself felt like home - to be in an area so uniquely  _ Jesse _ was comforting in so many ways.

"I missed you, as well, Jesse." Hanzo said, reaching up to wrap his arms over Jesse's shoulders. His fingers instinctively reached for his hair, fiddling with a small bunch, wrapping his fingers into it.

"Y'know, I almost gave my room up to Ange, but I think you woulda gotten real upset, huh?" Jesse said, and watched Hanzo's face as he frowned, brows furrowing together.

"I would not have been happy," He said, pushing Jesse further into the room. "But I would have found somewhere to be alone with you."

"Oh, really?" Jesse grinned, "And where else do you think we coulda hid?"

"You've got a few closets," Hanzo said, "A shower."

"A big ol' yard." Jesse suggested, just to watch Hanzo's face as he glared up at him.

"If you ever try to get me to have sex with you outside, you can be sure you're not getting laid that day."

"Alright, alright, nothin' outdoors." Jesse leaned down, kissing Hanzo again. This time, it was deeper, lingering more as he slid his hands up Hanzo's arms. As he pulled away, he let their lips brush, ever so soft. His voice was low, rough. "Seriously though, I've been thinkin' about gettin' you back here for the last week."

"Obvious, by the way you've been messaging me." Hanzo pushed him, urging him closer to Jesse's bed. His hands, playful, grabbed at where his shirt was tucked into his pants. "Ridiculous. Can't you simply get off by thinking of me?"

"Could," Jesse said, the back of his legs hitting the bed. He fell into a sitting position, pulling Hanzo in between his knees. "Rather share it with you."

"Insufferable." Hanzo laughed, leaning in to kiss him again. "You're lucky I love you so much, Jesse."

There was a pause, a moment of realisation as Hanzo took in what had just left his mouth. Jesse smiled. 

"Shoot. Love you too, Hanzo."

They’d never really said that, had they? In all the time travelling, in all the rollercoaster of emotions and danger they’d been through, that phrase had never passed through their lips. But perhaps it had been shown in other ways - the gentleness in which they cared for each other, the willingness to jump into danger for each other, the loyalty… 

Still, having it out in the open was nice. Hanzo leaned down again and kissed Jesse, this time with more intent and need behind it, a desperation to match their admittance. Jesse hooked his arms over Hanzo’s torso and pulled him, bringing the both of them fully onto the bed. Hands grabbed at clothes, shirts opened and Hanzo’s t-shirt pulled off. The belt - the gaudy, terrible belt buckle - at Jesse’s hips was pulled open but left on his pants, both too impatient to do much else about it. 

All they wanted was simply to touch at that point. Buttons came undone after fumbling, Hanzo laughing as Jesse nicked his finger on the edge of the button in a way that only served to irritate rather than injure. Finally, finally - they were both exposed, pants pulled down just enough that they could pull their cocks free and rut against each other, kisses unbreaking as Hanzo wrapped his hand around the both of them. They didn’t need to go any further than that, content to simply have each other close.

Hanzo rocked his hips against Jesse, letting that become half the work instead of moving his wrist constantly. Jesse seemed not to mind, tilting his head back with a happy groan. Hanzo pressed another kiss to his mouth, insistent and rough, teeth biting at Jesse’s lips. As he pulled away, his words were a puff of air against Jesse’s lips. 

“Hush, we do not want anyone hearing us.” He scolded, and Jesse nodded, biting down onto his bottom lip to keep his voice muffled as Hanzo’s hand worked over him. He was close, so very close, he just needed a few more moments -

Hanzo pressed his mouth against Jesse’s neck, tongue drawing a line up the side of his throat, and the extra feeling pushed Jesse over the edge. He grunted, quickly throwing his hand over his mouth to muffle his sound as he pushed his head against the pillows, abdomen twitching. As he came down from the high, he watched Hanzo sit himself upright and focus on himself. 

It took only another minute before Hanzo’s eyes shut tight and he came as well, his voice quiet in the back of his throat. 

“Shit,” Jesse said, his voice rough. Hanzo chuckled as he dropped forward once more, his arms weak. Arms wrapped around him, and even though the pants around his thighs weren’t the most comfortable, he couldn’t bring himself to care. Together, they dozed until the barest hint of morning began to stretch over the horizon, waking the rest of the team. 

Nobody entered the bedroom to wake them. Instead, there was a soft knock and then Angela’s voice letting them know the time. They’d have to leave soon, despite the discomfort that came with sleeping half-dressed and unshowered. Thankfully, they were given time to clean up ( and Jesse was able to rid the house of the rest of his food by handing it off to everyone ) before Sojourn and ECHO arrived with a second Aurora. Brigitte and Lena and Angela chose to take the van with the ship they’d left, and everyone else piled onto Sojourn’s ship to help with the cargo.

At the very least, the trip wouldn’t take much longer than half a day…

Giving Jesse all the time in the world to think about just what he was getting himself back into.

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think so far! even just a thumbs up emoji is enough to make me happy
> 
> and hey, follow me on twitter @MisterMundee to see wips of this fic and join me in crying over my favorite shimada bro


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